The Gay Rights Movement

Greenhaven Press's American Social Movements series examines the development of specific trends in American history from the perspective of a particular social movement. "The Gay Rights Movement" follows the progression of this particular movement from its historical roots with Henry Gerber's short-lived Society for Human Rights in 1924 to its most recent efforts and concerns in gaining legal recognition. Jennifer Smith's volume brings together selected and edited viewpoints drawn from the movement's leading advocates, as well as scholarly interpretations and reports that can provide high school students with the basic tools for writing research papers and reports. Smith introduces each selection with a concise summary of the article's main ideas and biographical information about the author. There is also an introductory essay that provides students with a general overview of the topic, covering the uprising at the Stonewall Inn and unity created by the AIDS epidemic.The contents of "The Gay Rights Movement" will indicate exactly the breadth of topics covered by these articles:Chapter 1 - Origins of the Gay Rights Movement: "Homosexuality is Not a Disease" by Henry Gerber, argues homosexuality is not a mental disorder that demands a "cure"; "The Homosexual is Part of Nature's Complexity" by James Baldwin argues society must move beyond classifying people as heterosexual and homosexual and move toward accepting all human sexual variations as normal; "We Must Break Out of Our Individual Ghettoes and Mobilize" by Leo Ebreo contends the gay rights movement should pattern itself after the Jewish rights movement to more quickly galvanize the gay community and work toward securing equal rights; and "Sexism With the Growing Movement" by Shirley Willer challenges gay men to appreciate the value of lesbian women within the movement.Chapter 2 - Coming Out and Coming Together: "How the Stonewall Inn Uprising Politicized the Gay Community" by Jack Nichols traces the new breed of militant activism to the infamous 1969 riot; "The Effeminist Manifesto" by Steven Dansky, John Knoebel, and Kenneth Pitchford" contends gay subcultures do not provide liberation but reinforce the patriarchal system that oppresses women and effeminate men; "Harvey Milk's Political Empowerment of the Gay Community" by Gregory J. Rosmaita profiles the first openly gay elected city official; and "The Political Necessity of a Gay Liberation Movement" by Michael Denneny looks at how the gay rights movement needed to reassess its goals following the political upheaval of the 1960s and 1970s.'Chapter 3 - The Struggle for Survival: "Ethical Propaganda? Using Advertising to Combat Homophobia" by Marshall Kirk and Hunter Madsen argues the mainstream press can be manipulated to become a tool for combating homophobia in the U.S.; "The Gay Community Must Mobilize Against AIDS" by Larry Kramer targets profit-driven pharmaceutical and insurance companies to help AIDS victims; "Keeping the Faith: